Guillermo del Toro’s Cold War-era fairytale The Shape of Water swam away with a leading seven nominations from the Golden Globes, while the HBO drama Big Little Lies led the television nominees with six nods.

In what’s been seen as a wide-open Oscar race so far, several films followed closely behind The Shape of Water, including Steven Spielberg’s Pentagon Papers drama The Post, with six nominations, including best actress for Meryl Streep and best actor for Tom Hanks. Martin McDonagh’s revenge drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri also got a major boost in the nominations announced Monday in Beverly Hills, California, with six nods, including best actress for Frances McDormand and supporting actor for Sam Rockwell.

The awards ceremony, traditionally seen as a more populist answer to the Oscars, will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2018.

Eyes were also on how the Hollywood Foreign Press Association would tackle the ongoing sexual harassment scandal - which was spurred on after a series of allegations were made against producer Harvey Weinstein in October. In the months that followed, several other members of the industry such actor Kevin Spacey, director Brett Ratner and others have been accused of sexual misconduct.

Many were excited to see how the likes of Transparent and All the Money in the World would perform. A rough cut of the latter was reportedly screened for the HFPA shortly after Scott finished reshooting the film with Christopher Plummer stepping in for Spacey.

Ahead of the announcements, the favourites at the Globes this year were Steven Spielberg’s Pentagon Papers drama The Post and Christopher Nolan’s World War II tale Dunkirk. In the television categories, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale and HBO’s Big Little Lies.

Get Out -- a satire on racism and middle class white guilt -- made perhaps the biggest and most unexpected impact of any movie this year.

Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, starring Frances McDormand as a mother seeking to avenge the rape and murder of her daughter, also took the influential audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Steven Spielberg’s The Post, a defence of the free press widely seen as a rebuke to President Donald Trump, was the favourite for many experts to take best film drama.

Coco was the comfortable frontrunner for best animated film -- but was marred by Pixar co-founder John Lassater’s recent admission of inappropriate behaviour towards employees.

The Golden Globes, televised by NBC, will take place at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on January 7. The show will be hosted by Seth Meyers.

Here is the full list of nominations:

Best Picture – Drama

Call Me by Your Name

Dunkirk

The Post

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Picture – Comedy or Musical

The Disaster Artist

Get Out

The Greatest Showman

I, Tonya

Lady Bird

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name

Daniel Day Lewis, Phantom Thread

Tom Hanks, The Post

Gary Oldman, The Darkest Hour

Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Jessica Chastain, Molly’s Game

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Meryl Streep, The Post

Michelle Williams, All the Money in the World

Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

Steve Carrell, Battle of the Sexes

Ansel Elgort, Baby Driver

James Franco, The Disaster Artist

Hugh Jackman, The Greatest Showman

Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy:

Judi Dench, Victoria & Abdul

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes

Helen Mirren, The Leisure Seeker

Best Supporting Actor

Willem DaFoe, Florida Project

Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

Christopher Plummer, All The Money in the World

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

Hong Chau, Downsizing

Alison Janney, I, Tonya

Laurie Metcalfe, Lady Bird

Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Best Director — Motion Picture

Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water

Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

Ridley Scott, All the Money in the World

Steven Spielberg, The Post

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Robert Deniro, The Wizard of Lies

Jude Law, Young Pope

Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks

Ewan McGregor, Fargo

Geoffrey Rush, Genius

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy